Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 July 2012
593 Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps he has taken in relation to the Republican activists against drugs vigilante group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36414/12]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the specific details of operations and initiatives that are put in place by the Garda authorities to combat the activities of groups such as those he refers to. The Garda Síochána targets all organisations and individuals who engage in criminality and they work very closely with their counterparts in the Police Service of Northern Ireland in this regard. The level of co-operation between the Garda Síochána and the PSNI has never been higher. The two forces co-operate seamlessly across the range of policing activities.
Operational policing co-operation is the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner and the PSNI Chief Constable and their respective forces. Both police chiefs have emphasised the close nature and the high quality of the ongoing co-operation between their forces and it has been instrumental in preventing attacks, combating criminality and saving lives. The two police forces operate a Cross-Border Policing Strategy, which includes cross-Border investigations and operations, intelligence-sharing and security, information and communications technology and emergency planning.
